Superwoman Schema Endorsement and its Association to Perceived Stress During Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes among Non-Hispanic Black American Women.

The superwoman schema (SWS), rooted in historical racist stereotypes, acts as a sociocultural construct that many Black American women in the U.S. currently adopt, known as the strong Black woman (SBW) stereotype. This SWS, reinforced by racial discrimination, has been identified as a stressor contributing to psychological strain and mental health disorders. Research indicates that the SWS may negatively affect maternal mental health and perinatal outcomes. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on the SWS's impact on pregnant Black American women regarding their psychological health and birth outcomes. Addressing this gap, this study involved 305 African American women aged 21-45 who reported on their SWS endorsement, perceived stress levels during pregnancy, mental health diagnoses, and birth outcomes. Findings revealed a significant correlation between SWS endorsement and increased stress and a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. A higher SWS endorsement and perceived stress were correlated with caring for others and resisting vulnerability, although no direct link was found between SWS endorsement, perceived stress, and delivering a preterm or low birth-weight infant. Further research is necessary on the SWS's adaptive attributes and its archetypic reification in obstetric care. However, these findings underscore the importance of mental health interventions and support systems for pregnant Black American women, especially among unmarried mothers and those with limited education. This study contributes to understanding the SWS as a racial stressor and a contributory mechanism to racial disparities in maternal and perinatal health.